Spring bushing



Nov. 2'? 1923.

A. O. JUDSON SPRING BUSHING Filed Oct. 5, 1921 Patented Nov, 27, 1923,. v

UNITED STATES PATENT VOFFICEQ' nnnnar o. Jonson, or COLUMBUS, 01-110.-

SPRING BUSHING.

Application. filed October 5, 1921. Serial No. 505,612.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that ALBERT O; Jonson a citizen of the United States, residing'at Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Spring Bushings, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved spring bushing adapted to be situated between concentrically disposed inner and outer members for the purposeof maintainmg the said members in properly spaced cally arranged member's-of the steering column construction of a motor vehicle, the

said bushing beingofsubstantially tubular formation and" sitioned upon the inner member, the saig bushing being formedto include va, plurality of resilient fingers disposed for engagement with the outer memher, said. fingers serving to resiliently space "the said members to eliminate physical contact therebetween and thus eliminating the rattle and vibration which is ordinarilyipermitted to obtain particularly in steenng columns. 7

A further objeot of'the invention rests in an anti-rattling device of the above stated character which is formed from a blank of 3 sheet metal and bent into substantially tubular formation, wherein the blank in its ing process of formation, is stamped to produce a plurality of outwardly bowed resilient fingers, formedv integrally with the bushing,

the said fingers serving to render the bushyieldable to compressive diametrically disposed? forces so that the" bushing may be employed in the capacity of a'cushioning *member. A stillfurther object rests in for ing the inner member of the steering column upon which the bushingis positioned with means serving to preclude longitudinal movement on the part of said bushing with respect to said member, thus positively po sitioning the said bushing so as to insure its retention in an applied or operative position.- p e For a 'further understandingof the in; vention, referenceis to bhad to the following description and to the accompanying drawingfin which: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the steering column of a motor vehicle portlons thereof being disclosed in section to illustrate the operative positions of the spring bushings com-prising the presentinvention,

Figure 2 is a similar view on an enlarged scale Cl'lSClOSlIlg more clearly the construc- 't1on of the bushing.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the bushing detached from the steering column. v neferring more particularly to the accompanying drawing, the niuneral 1 designates generally the steering column of a motor vehicle, which has been selected for illustrative purposes only. This column, as

usual, consists of an outer stationary or rotatable casing 2, which will be hereinafter referred to as the outer member, and within this member there is; positioned the telescoping and concentrically disposed inner member or shaft 3, the latter having its upper end connected with the steering wheel whereby the member '3 may be rotated to govern the operations and positions of an associated steering wheel mechanism, not shown.

It has been-found that in operation the relatively movable innerand outer members are likely to'become loosened in their bearings so that undue vibration therebetween is set up, causing a rattling noise to be produced, which is 'diilicult to locate and overcome. -Therefore, the present invention provides a resilient bushing arranged between the said members so that the inner member particularly will be maintained in proper alignment and prevented from vibrating undul My improved spring bushing is formed preferably from a blank of sheet metal having a plurality of lOIlgll'Aldl:

nally extending slots 5, formed therein by suitable die or stamping operations, thesaid slots serving to define therebetween a plurality of ribs or fingers 6. Following the formation of the slots and the proper shap-- ing of the bushing blank, the latter is rolled into substantially tubular form, and dur ing the same rolling operation the ribs 6 are outwardly bowed, as indicated, in order that and positioned in will be situated at the intermediate por-' their inherent resiliency the same will be that thepresent invention provides a Sim-- caused to grip and'embrace the inner member with a sufiicient degree of firmness to preclude longitudinal slipping movement on the part of said bushings. This construction, therefore, results in securely retainingthe bushings in their applied positions. It will be observed that when forced into their applied positions between the inner and outer members of the. steering column the ribs will be forced into frictional" engagement with the inner Wall of the member 2, causing said ribs to be compressed and to thus lace the same under tension. This tension is utilized .to maintain said members in properly spaced relationship and to elimimate the vibration and rattle so commonly revalent therebetween. The ribs 6 are ongitudinally bowed so that the forcing of the same between the members 2 and 3 may be efi'ected with proper convenience and will adjust themselves to any unevenness which may be present-on the interior wall of the outer member.-

In view of thevforegoing it will be seen ple and efiective construction for overcoming rattle and vibration between the inner and .outer members of the steering post of amotor vehicle and that this result is ca' pable of being-accomplished in a convenient, s mple and inexpensive manner. If desired,

and as shown in Figure 2, the inner member 3 of the steering post may be provided above.

and below the groove 8 into which the bushing, comprising the present invention, is adapted to be situated with scored surfaces The provision of these roughenedsurfaces will serve as additional means of eliminating undue longitudinal movement on the part of the bushing and thus assuring its column.

What is claimed is: I J

A steering column comprising an outer 65 tubular member and a shaft considerably smaller in diameter than the tubular member and disposed therein, saidshaft being cir e0 the 2 cumferentially. grooved to form upper and lower shoulders, in combination with a rei silient bushing comprising upper and lower split collars which snugly embrace-the shaft adjacent said shoulders and the ends of which abut said shoulders and a plurality V of outwardly bowed and 10h 'tudinally extending ribs connecting sai collars, said collars and said ribs being: formed of a 1 single and integral part, said shaft/turning in said split collars and said bushing being held against turning-by the engagement of itsIongitudinally extending ribs with the inner wall of the tubular .member;

In testimony whereof ll aiiix my. signat1ire.

ALBERT o; Jonson. 

